West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia National Guard Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of three new officers to its governing board.
Frank Vitale is the President and CEO of Forge Business Solutions and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at West Virginia University and will serve as President for the WVNGF. He served nearly 20 years in the West Virginia National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves.
A former member of the West Virginia Board of Education, Vitale has served on various national, state, and local boards. A graduate of Valley Forge Military College and West Virginia University, he also holds an MBA and has received numerous honors, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Award and WVU’s James McCartney Community Service Award. Vitale is the author of Forge Ahead, an Amazon #1 Best Seller, and lives in Morgantown with his wife, Ashley, and their three children.
“I am truly honored to be elected president of the WVNGF,” stated Vitale. “As a former enlisted Soldier and Officer in the West Virginia Army National Guard, I’ve witnessed the profound impact this Foundation has on our Soldiers, Airmen, and their Families. I’m grateful for the leaders who have built and sustained this vital organization, and I look forward to continuing their important work.”
Melissa Fallecker currently serves in the WV Military Authority Finance Office as the Grants Manager for Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy – South and will serve as Secretary for the WVNGF. She has served consecutively as the Vice President and Secretary of the WV Mountaineer Chapter of the Warrant Officer Association for the last five years. Fallecker earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree at West Virginia State University followed by a Master of Strategic Leadership Degree at the University of Charleston. After twenty-eight years of service, she retired from the WVARNG as Chief Warrant Officer Four. She currently resides in St. Albans, West Virginia, with her husband, Chad, of twenty-four years, and their three daughters, Kaylee, Mallory, and Lillian.
SSG Ashley Shortall currently serves as the AGR HRO NCO for the WVARNG and will serve as the Treasurer for the WVGNF. She previously served as the Executive Assistant to the Command Senior Enlisted Leader in The Office of the Adjutant General, WVNG. Shortall earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Glenville State University. She previously taught in West Virginia and North Carolina before enlisting and pursuing her full-time career in the WVANG. She currently resides in Sutton, West Virginia with her husband, SFC Chris Shortall, and their two boys, Braeden and Brodie.
The WVNGF is a non-profit corporation/organization dedicated to supporting WVNG soldiers, airmen, and reservists within the State of West Virginia, veterans and their family members. The goal of the foundation is to foster an enlightened appreciation of the contributions of the WVNG and other military entities; to preserve its history and heritage; to provide relief and emergency assistance to past and present members and their families; to carry on programs such as Gold Star Family program that perpetuate the memory of deceased members from all military services; to sponsor activities of a patriotic nature; and to provide scholarships to its members and their dependents. The foundation is committed to ensuring that West Virginians never lose sight of our past sacrifices as we remain focused on future challenges.
